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This is part of a special series examining basic MMORPG concepts.

Character advancement is measured by experience points in nearly every MMORPG. Experience points (usually abbreviated as "XP") are gained through killing (or "arresting," or subduing) mobs and/or completing quests.

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In most MMORPGs, characters must gain XP in order to "level up" (i.e., reach the next level in their progression).  Leveling up usually opens up access to more and better abilities, powers, or enhancements to existing abilities.  Leveling up may also allow a character to enter certain level-restricted areas of the game (like Outland in World of Warcraft or Perez Park in City of Heroes).

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Gaining XP is pretty straightforward in most MMORPGs.  You defeat an enemy or complete a quest and you get a certain amount of XP.  The amount of XP you receive is usually affected by things like your current level and the level of the enemy or the intended level of the quest.  For example, you'll get more XP if you defeat an enemy that is your level or higher than you will for defeating an enemy that is a level or more below your own level.

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Some games have a "death penalty," a negative effect for being defeated, and sometimes this affects how much XP you have.  In Everquest, for example, you actually lose XP when you are defeated.  In City of Heroes, you don't lose XP, but you gain XP debt when you are defeated above level 10.  With XP debt, half of the XP you get is used to pay off this debt until it is gone, so you progress at half the normal rate.  In World of Warcraft,  there is no XP penalty for being defeated.

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Levels usually become harder to gain as you progress through an MMORPG.  The need to get more and more XP to get to the next level is sometimes referred to as "grinding" and leads some people to turn to "powerleveling" to achieve their levels.  Powerleveling is gaining XP at an increased rate through various means, most of which are somewhat exploitative of the way that XP gain or mob levels work in various games.